Film feed mechanism for photographic roll film cameras



R. MULLER 2,016,611

FILM FEED MECHANISM FOR PHOTOGRAPHIC ROLL FILM CAMERAS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. '7, 1934 FIGIIL.

- FIGS,

, RUOGLF Homes.

ATTORNEY.

Oct. 8, 1935. R. MULLER 2,016,511 FILM FEED MECHANISM FOR PHOTOGRAPHIC ROLL FILM CAMERAS I Filed Nov. 7,1954 2 Sheet-Sheet 2 1:a gvl'JlllllllllllIlI/ llvvsurok.

Ruoou NiiLLER.

ATi'bRNEY.

' Patented Oct. 8,1935

V UNITED s r-Ares FILM FEED MECHANISM FOR. rno'rooaarmc Rom. FILM CAMERAS Rudolf Miiller, Brunswick, Germany, assignor to Paul Franke and Reinhold Heiflecke both of Brunswick, Germany Application November 7,1934, Serial No. 751,954

Germany February 20, I933 20 Claims.

The'invention relates to film feed mechanism for roll film cameras, intended for use with films oi the kind in which a long tab or strip of paper is attached to the leading edge of the him and is used for connecting the film to the take-up spool,

for starting'the'winding.

With such film the first stage of winding consists in winding the paper on the take-up spool. According to my invention the completion of this stage is indicated automatically by detector mechanism actuated by the ridge formed on the strip by the joint between the paper and the film. The invention includes also, in combination with this device, film number'indicating mechanism which comes into operation when film'is wound on to the take-up spool, after-the winding of the paper. I 1.

Apparatus embodying the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig.1 is an elevation showing one embodiment thereof. 6

'Fig. 2 shows another embodiment of the invention, being an elevation of a camera having two objectives, partly in section and partly broken away to expose the mechanism in the interior thereof.

Fig.3 is an elevation of the film number indi cator constituting part of the apparatus of Fig. 2. Referring first to the apparatus shown in Fig. 1, I designates the delivery spool, and 2 the takeup spool, and a is the paper tab attached to the film b. At 25 the paper is joined to the filni'by a layer of adhesive, forming a ridge. The film strip is fed past a window 3 in the camera, of the 353 size of the picture, the part facing the window being exposed when the shutter is opened. A plate 4, urged by springs in the direction indicated by thearrow it, holds the strip against its guides. A nose 5 formed on a double armed lever 40 6 pivoted at 1 rests on the roll of film on the delivery spool. By placing the roll on the spool the nose 5 is lifted, and the lever 6 is rocked, against the action of a spring. 8 attached to} a rod 9 pivoted to the lever. The rod is by this means pulled 45 down, as indicated by the arrow 5. The rod slides at the top in a guide I0, above which there. is a horizontal slide I I having a downwardly directed tooth II adapted to .be engaged by the top end of the rod The slide II is connected to a. spring 50 I2 tending to pull it towards the left. Upon the slide H there are two'pillars I3, I4. 'I'he pillar I3 has at the top a bearing for a counting wheel I I5, and the pillar I4 has a bearing for a pinion I6 in mesh with teeth at the rim of the wheel I 5. 55 A gear wheel I! is fixed to the same'axle as the pinion I8, and the axle I 8 of the take-up spool has fixed thereto a gear wheel I 3 adapted to mesh with the gear wheel I1. A bell crank lever 20 having arms. 2|, 22 is rotatably mounted on the axle I8. The arm 2| of this lever ispivotally con- 5 nected to the slide I I, and to the free end of this arm,at 2 I, there pivoted a rocker 23 having a frictional end surface facing the fllm strip just above the window 3. r r

The rocker 23 is connected by a stud 21 and 10 slot 28 to the shank of a pawl 24, which is adapted to engage the'gear wheel I9 but is normally held out of contact therewith by a spring. A stud 26 on the shank of the pawl is in the path of the lever arm 22. 15 When a full spool I has been placed in the cam-'- era the tab a is attachedto the spool 2, and the position of \the parts is then as shown in the drawings. By the lifting of the nose 5 when the fresh spool is inserted the rod 9 is pulled down, 20

clear of the tooth II and the spring I2 pulls the slide II to the left. The gearwheel I1 is thus held out of engagement with the gear wheel I9, and a spring (not shown) rotates the counter I5 backwards so.that the number 1" becomes 25 visible through a window provided for that purpose. The slide II rotates the lever 20 so that the friction surface of the rocker 23 is placed very close to the strip. I

The spool 2 is then rotated so that the paper 30 tab a is wound thereon, pulling fllmfrom the spool I. When the ridge formed by the joint 25 reaches the member 23 it rocks the same into the position indicated in the drawings by a broken line, and by this'means the pawl 24 is pulled downwards and engaged with the toothed wheel I9, so that rotation of the spool 2 is stopped. This occurs when the firstsection of film, for making a picture has been pulledinto' position facing the window 3. The downward 40 movement of the pawl 23 places the stud 26 close to the lever arm 22.

The lever 20 is then swung into the. position indicated by a broken line in the drawings. The

'mechanism for this purpose will be described hereinafter. By this movement of the lever 20 the pawl 24 is disengaged from the wheel l9 and the slide I I is moved to the right, so that the pinion I! engages the wheel I9. Moreover, the rocker 23 is swung so that its free end is lowered again.- The reduced diameter of the film roll, due to the tab (1 and part of the film having been wound off, enables the spring 8 to lift the rod 9 so that it engages the tooth Il and locks the slide II in the position to which it has been moved. Film can then be wound oi! the roll for making successive pictures, by turning the spool 2, the counter being actuated by the train of gear l9, l1, It.

For rotating the spool I there is a crank 29 actuatable by hand. This crank rotates a disk gear wheel I2 meshes with a gear wheel 33 in mesh with the gear wheel I! fixed to the spool 2. Fixed to the wheel 33 is a pinion fl meshing witha gear wheel 35 on a shaft having a pinion l8 fixed thereto. This gear wheel 30 meshes with a toothed sector 31 freely rotatable on the shaft of the crank 28. The sector 31 has a hooked extension 38 adapted to engage the boss II and operate as a stop limiting the, rotation of the crank. By anti-clockwise rotation of the crank the boss is caused to strike the shorter arm. 39 of a double armed lever 39, pivoted at II and engaged with a spring 42 which normally holds the arm ll against a fixed abut-v ment 43. The arm 40 is in contact with the lever,

arm 22.. The spring 42 is, of sufiicient power to render a clearly perceptible effort necessary for rotating the crank anti-clockwise after the boss II has struck 'the lever arm 39.

For rotating the spool 2 each'time a fresh sectionoffilm is to be moved into position for exposure the crank is rotated clockwise by hand till the boss 3| strikes the extension 38 of the sectorll. It will be noted that the sector is givenganti-clockwise rotation by the clockwise rotation of the crank, so that each successive clockwise swing of the crank is shorter than the one before. The length of film wound on the spool I by each swing of the crank is thus kept uniform. When the-crank is swung back the impact of the boss II with the lever arm 39 cre,

ates a perceptible check, and normally the movement is then stopped, but when the tab a of a fresh spool has been wound on the spool 2 and the pawl 24 has locked the wheel is the pawl can be disengaged by using the crank to press the cam ll against the lever arm I! with :gfiicient force to rotate the lever arms 0 and In Fig. 2 the invention is illustrated in connection with a camera A having in addition to the main objective B a view finder objective C. All themechanism shown isdisposed at one side of the camera casings At the bottom a film spool l' is carried by spring loaded holders 4, between which it lies. The film b has a strip of paper 11' attached to its frontedge. and the strip and film travel past an opening 3' in the cam era' casing, through which'exposure takes place. The film is guided by rollers-l8, l8, and is wound on a spool 2' having an axle 49. At 25 the film and the paper strip a overlap each other and are joined by means of an adhesive tab so that thejoint' is comparativelyihick. A guide plate I is urged by springs towards the opening 3', as indicated by an'arrow in the drawings. A feelerl' rests on the film on the spool I, and is integral with a bracket 9', which is slidable between a guide 58 and a part ii of the camera casing. The bracket has at the top an extension 54 with a slot 53 engaged with a stud 52. To the extensions BI is fixed, by screws 58, a ",for a gear wheel 35' and pinion 36'. The bracket 8' is connected to aspring 8', which presses the Ieeler 5' against the film on the spool I'pthe finger passing through aslot in the holder 4!. The bracket has ,a lug ll adaptedtobeengagedwiththenoseil lofa 6 latch 8i when the bracket is lifted. The latch BI is pivoted at Land a spring I urges ittowards the lug 59. In addition to the nose ll the latch has a nose N, for a purpose to be described hereinafter.

The film feed mechanism is actuated by means of a hand crank 29' connected to a rotatable disc 30' having a nose II. The crank is also connected to a disc 85 having a boss it. in addition the crank is connected by means of a pawl and i6 ratchet or equivalent clutch to a gear wheel-32', so that clockwise rotation of the crank rotates the wheel, whereas anti-clockwise rotation is inefiective for turning the wheel, which is restrained irom backward rotation by a pawl 61. 20 The gear wheel 32 is engaged with a gear wheel 33', which is engaged with a gear wheel I! fixed to the spool 2 A pinion 34' fixed to the wheel 33 meshes with-the gear wheel 35' already referred to and the pinion 36' fixed to this wheel 26 meshes with a toothed sector 31' on a wheel carrying an abutment ll adapted to coact with the nose 3|, so that it acts as a stop limiting the clockwise rocking movement of the disc ill and the crank 28'. By each clockwise movement of 80 the crank the abutment ii is moved a step, so that the crank movements are successively shortened, in accordance with the reduced rotation required for winding successive sections of film on the spool 2. Anti-clockwise rotation of the so crank and disc ill. is limited by a fixed stop 88 in the path of the nose II.

As shown in Fig. 3, the hooked extension of the sector 31' engages into a recess H8 in the rim of a dial lilhavingthereon a series of numerals 0 representingfilm numbers. Only a part of this series, namely the range of numerals from I to II, is shown in the drawings. Each film feeding movement of the crank 29', which causes the sector to rotate, imparts alsorotation to the dial 4, I I1, and this causes the film numbers on the dial to appear in succession behind a window Ill in the side wall H9 of the camera. The rotation of the dial stresses a spiral spring I", which restores the dial to zero position when the pinion ll 50 is disensaged from the sector 31'.

Close to the path of the film there is a pawl ll pivoted at 1| to a finger 23'. A spring 11 tends to hold the pawl in the position in which it is shown in the drawings. In this position a tall I8 of the pawl abuts against the finger 23'. The finger I! is fixed to a disc I! rotatable about a stud II, and a spring 16 tends to hold a nose 11 on the disc in contact with an abutment II. The

disc 15 also has a nose 19 adapted to coact with a go pawl carried by a lever 8i, .2 pivoted at N. the pivot of the pawl being shown at 84. A spring 81 acting on the lever 8 i 82 urges the same clockwise so that the arm 82 is normally pressed against an abutment not shown in the drawings. Below the to arm 82 there is the pivot 88 of a lever 89 having a slot 90 engaged with a stud 9 I A pawl 93 pivoted at 91 has a nose ll adapted to engages. lug on the lever 89. A spring 96 tends to rotate the pawl airanti-clockwise, so that a bent tail I1 01 the pawl bears against the lever arm 82. The

lever 89 carries a pawl 98 pivoted at 98. with a spring I00 normally holding it in the position shown in the drawings, bearing against a lug on Y the lever 89. This pawl 98 is adapted to engage the nose 04 of the pawl 6| already referred to.

At IN a toothed wheel I02 is pivoted to the lever 89. There is a studl03 on this wheel, and in the path of this stud there are two abutments I04 and I05 .on the lever, A spring I05 tends to hold the stud I03 in contact with the abutment I05. A spring I01 attached to a. stud I08 tends to swing the lever 89 upwards from the position in which it is shown in the drawings, but engagement of the nose 94 with the lug 95 prevents such upward movement. The lever 09 coacts with a bolt I 09 working between guides I I and abutting against a lug III on.the lever. recess I I2 for engagement with a ball II3 pressed against the bolt by a spring I I4.

When a fresh spool I is placed between the holders 44, 45 the finger and bracket 9 are lifted by the film, and the nose 60, engaging the lug 59, retains the bracket in its lifted position,

' the pinion 36 being disengaged fromithe sector 31', so that the film feed mechanism can be actuated without actuating the film number indicator. The paper strip a is attached to the spool and wound on the same by actuating the crank 29'.. When the tab 25' reaches he pawl l0and actuates the same the finger 23 is rocked and-the disc is rotated, so that the nose I9 engages the pawl 00 and rocks the lever 9|, 82, causing the nose 94 to be disengaged from the lug 95, so that the lever 09 is rocked by the spring I01, and the toothed wheel I02 engages the wheel 32'.

Rotation of the wheel I02 by rocking the crank 29' causes the stud I03 to be removed from the abutment I05 to the abutment I04.'which acts as a stop preventing further movement of the crank. The crank movement by which the wheel I02 is rotated as described is just sufiicient to feed the joint between the paper and film past the exposure aperture.

The upward movement of the lever 89 lifts the bolt I09 so that the ball'l I3 engages the recess I I2, and when the crank 29' iS SWi1ng back, after the feed movement described, the nose 65 strikes the bolt, which depresses the lever 89, restoring the same to its normal position in engagement with the nose 94. The wheel I02 is restored to normal position by the spring I06, and the pawl 98, engaging the nose 64. rocks the catch 63 so that the bracket 9' is released and pulled down by its spring 8', this movement being allowed by the removal of the paper strip from the film spool.

The pinion 35' is thus engaged with the toothed sector 31, so that subsequent actuations of the crank 29 causes thefilm number indicator to be actuated. I I

When the nose 3| is in contact with the fixed stop 68 the nose 0G is. in the position in which it fully depresses the bolt I09. I The construction of the detector mechanism 29', I0 may be modified in various ways. The construction shownhas the advantage that the resilient pawl 10 accommodates itself readily to films of different thicknesses. Its length is such that its 'actionis fully reliable with the thinnest film. By thicker film the pawl is more or less depressed, against. the action of the spring I2.

What I claim as my invention and, desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. In a roll film photographic camera for use.

with a film strip having a strip of paper attached to its leading edge by a joint forming a ridge the combination, with mechanism for winding said paper strip and film strip, of means actuatable by saidridge for indicating arrival of the first See- This bolt has a tion of said film strip in position. for exposure. 2. In a roll film photographic camera for use with a film strip having a'strip-of paper attached to its leading edge by a joint forming a ridge the combination, with mechanism for windingsaid 5 paper strip and film strip, of means actuatable by said ridge for locking said winding mechanism when the first section of said film strip has arrived in positionfor exposure. I

3. In a roll film photographic camera the combination of film winding mechanism, filmnumber'indicating mechanism actuated by said winding mechanism, a film delivery spool, and means including a ieeler adapted to make contact with film on said spool, whereby said indicating mechanism is put out of operation when said spool is full. 7

4. In a roll film photographic camera the combination of film winding mechanism, means actuatable by a ridge on the film strip for locking said winding mechanism when the first sensitized section of the film strip has been moved into position Ior exposure, film number indicating mechanism actuatable by said winding mechanism, a removable delivery spool, means for putting said indicating mechanism out of operation, actuated by insertion into the camera of said spool with a roll of film thereon, and means for unlocking said winding mechanism and restoring said indicating mechanism to operation.

5. Ina roll film photographic camera the combination of film winding mechanism, means actuatable by a ridge on the film strip for locking said w'inding mechanism when the first sensitized section of the film strip has been moved into position for exposure, film number indicating mechanism actuatable by said winding mechanism, aremovable delivery spool, means for putting said indicating mechanism out of operation,

actuated by insertion into the camera of saidspool 4 with a roll of film thereon, manually actuatable means for actuatingsaid winding mechanism, and means for unlocking said winding mechanism and restoring said indicating mechanism to operation, actuated by reversed movement of said manually actuatable means.

6. In a roll film photographic camera the combination of film winding mechanism, means actuatable by a ridge on the film sirip for-locking said winding mechanism when the first sensitized section of the film strip has been moved into position for exposure, film number indicating mechanism actuatable by said winding mechanism, a removable delivery spool, means for putting said indicating mechanism out of operation, actuated by insertion into the camera of said spool with a roll of film thereon, manually actuatable means including a reciprocatable member for actuating said winding mechanism, the movement of said reciprocatable member in one direction being idle,

bination of film winding mechanism, means actuatable by a ridge on the film strip for locking said winding mechanism when the first sensitized section of the film strip has been moved into position for exposure, film number indicating mechanism actuatable by said winding mechanism, a removable delivery spool, means for putting said indicating mechanism out or operation, actuated by insertion into the camera of said spool with a roll of film thereon, means including a crank for actuating said winding mechanism, the movement of said crank in one direction being ineffective for winding. an abutment rocked by rocking said crank, a stop in the path 0! said abutment, means whereby said crank adjusts said stop so that the driving movements of said crank are successively shortened, and means actuatable by said abutment, by extending the idle movement of said crank, for unlocking said winding mechanism and restoring said indicating mechanism to operation.

9. In a roll film photographic camera the combination of film winding mechanism, means actuatable by a ridge on the the film strip for locking said winding mechanism when the first sensitized section of the film strip has been moved into position for exposure, film number indicating mechanism actuatable by said winding mechanism, a removable delivery spool, means for putting said indicating mechanism out of operation, actuated by insertion into the camera of said spool with a roll of film thereon, means including a crank for actuating said winding mechanism, the movement of said crank in one direction being ineffective for winding, an abutment rocked by rocking said crank, a stop in the path of said abutment, means whereby said crank adjusts said stop so that the driving movements 0! said crank are successively shortened, and means actuatable by said abutment, by extending the idle movement or said crank, for unlocking said winding mechanism and restoring said indicating mechanism to operation, said last mentioned means including a double armed, spring loaded lever having one arm in the path of said abutment.

10. In a roll film photographic camera the combination of film winding mechanism, means actuatable by a ridge on the the film strip for locking said winding mechanism when the first sensitized section of the film strip has been moved into position for exposure, film number indicating mechanism actuatable by said winding mechanism, a removable delivery spool, means for putting said indicating mechanism out of operation, actuated by insertion into the camera of said spool with a roll 0! film thereon, means. including a crank tor actuating said winding mechanism, the movement or said crank in one direction being inefiective for winding, an abutment rocked by rocking said crank, a stop in the path of said abutment, means whereby said crank adjusts said stop so that the driving movements of said crank are successively shortened, and means actuatable by said abutment, by extending the idle movement of said crank, for unlocking said winding mechanism and restoring said indicating mechanism to operation, said last mentioned means including a double armed spring loaded lever having arms of different lengths, the shorter arm being in the path of said abutment, and a member actuatable by the longer arm of said lever.

11. In a roll film photographic camera the combination, with film-teed mechanism of a detector adapted to be actuated by a ridge on the film strip, located in the path 0! the film facing the exposure aperture, a preparatory coupling device actuated by said detector prior to arrival 01' a film section in front oi! said aperture, and stop mechanism actuated by said coupling, to become efiective when said section of film has completed its travel into position facing the aperture.

12. Film-feed mechanism as claimed in claim 11, wherein the detector releases a source of energy which eflects engagement 0! a gear allowing only a limited movement of the film teed mechanism.

13. In a roll film photographic camera the combination, with film feed mechanism including a toothed driving .wheel, of a detector actuatable by a ridge on the film strip, located in the path of the film lacing the exposure aperture, a spring loaded carrier, a gear wheel mounted on said carrier, adapted to be engaged with said driving wheel by movement of said carrier under the action of its spring, a stop limiting the rotation of the gear wheel on said carrier, 9. locking device whereby said carrier is restrained from moving the gear wheel thereon into engagement with said driving wheel, and means whereby said detector unlocks said lock ing device and releases said carrier when actuated by the ridge on the film strip.

14. In a roll film photographic camera the combination, with film feed mechanism including a toothed driving wheel, of a detector actuatable by a ridge on the film strip, located in the path 0! the film facing the exposure aperture, a spring loaded carrier, a gear wheel mounted on said carrier, adapted to be engaged with said driving wheel by movement of said carrier under the action of its .spring, an abutment on the gear wheel mounted on said carrier, two stops on said carrier, in the path of said abutment, limiting the rotation 01 said gear wheel on said carrier, a spring engaging said gear wheel whereby said abutment is normally held against one of said stops, 2. locking device whereby said carrier is restrained from moving the gear wheel thereon into engagement with said driving wheel, and means whereby said detector unlocks said locking device and releases said cglririer when actuated by the ridge on the film s p.

15. In a roll film photographic camera the combination, with film ieed mechanism including a toothed driving wheel, 0! a detector actuatable by a ridge on the film strip, located in the path of the film facing the exposure aperture, a spring loaded carrier, 9, gear wheel mounted on said carrier, adapted to be engaged with said driving wheel by movement of said carrier under the action of its spring, a stop limiting the rotation of the gear wheel on said carrier, a locking device restraining said carrier from being moved by its spring, means whereby said detector unlocks said locking device and releases said carrier when actuated by the ridge on the film strip, mechanism for actuating a film number indicator, means for coupling said last mentioned mechanism with said teed mechanism, a device for returning said carrier to its locked position, and means whereby said carrier by its return movement to locked position puts said coupling means into operation.

16. In a roll film photographic camera the combination, with film feed mechanism including a toothed driving wheel, of a detector actuatable by a ridge on the film strip, located in the path of the film racing the exposure aperture, a spring loaded carrier, a gear wheel mounted on said carrier, adapted to be engaged with said driving wheel by movement of said carrier under the ac tion of its spring, a stop limiting the rotation of the gear wheel on said carrier, a locking device restraining said carrier from being moved by its spring, means whereby said detector unlocks said locking device and releases said carrier when actuated by the ridge on the film strip, mechanism for actuating a film number indicator, a spring loaded coupling device for coupling said last mentioned mechanism with said feed mechanism, a catch restraining said coupling device from operation, a device'for returning said carrier to its locked position, and means whereby said carrier by its return movement to locked position disengages said catch from said coupling device.

1'7. The combination claimed in claim 16, to gether with a holder for a film spool and a feeler adjacent said holder, connected to said coupling device, so that insertion of a full spool into said holder causes movement of said feeler putting said coupling device out of operation.

18. In a roll film photographic camera the combination, with film feed mechanism including a toothed driving wheel, of a manually actuatable rock arm which actuates said feed mechanism by movement in one direction, a detector actuatable by a ridge on the film strip, located in the path of the film facing the exposure aperture, a spring loaded carrier, a gear wheel mounted on said carrier, adapted to be engaged with said driving wheel by movement of said carrier under the action of its spring, a stop limiting the rotation of the gear wheel on said carrier, a locking device restraining said carrier from being moved by its spring, means whereby said detector unlocks said locking device and releases said carrier when actuated by the ridge on the film strip, mechanism for actuating a film number indicator, means for coupling said last mentioned mechanism with said feed mechanism, a device for returning said carrier to its locked position, and means whereby said carrier by its return movement to locked position puts said coupling means 10 into operation, a spring loaded coupling device for coupling said last mentioned mechanism with said feed mechanism, a catch restraining said coupling device from operation, a device for returning said carrier to its locked position, actuatable by movement of said rock arm in the nonfeed direction, and means whereby said carrier by its return movement to locked position disengages said catch from said coupling device.

19. The combination claimed in claim 18, said 20 device for returning said carrier to its locked position including a wheel rotated by said rock arm, a nose on said wheel, and a slidable bolt abutting against said carrier and moved into the path of said nose by said carrier when said carrier is moved by its spring.

20. The combination claimed in 'claim 11, said detector comprising a pivoted finger, a pawl pivoted thereto and projecting into the path of the 30 ridge on the film strip, whereby said finger is rocked when said ridge strikes said pawl, and a disk rotated by said finger for actuating said preparatory coupling device.

RUDOLF MUIL" ER. as 

